2025 vs 2026 Best Picture Nominees
The Academy Awards, often seen as the pinnacle of cinematic achievement, provide a snapshot of the film industry's evolving tastes, themes, and talents each year. The 2025 Oscars, honoring films from 2024, celebrated a mix of intimate dramas and big-budget spectacles, with Sean Baker's Anora taking home the Best Picture prize.
In contrast, the 2026 nominees, recognizing 2025 releases, lean into genre experimentation and director-driven projects, with the winner to be announced at the March 15th ceremony.
This article delves into the lineups for both years, highlighting key films, and draws comparisons across critic scores, box office performance, and broader industry trends.
2025
The 97th Academy Awards featured 10 nominees that spanned a wide array of storytelling styles, from gritty character studies to expansive blockbusters. Anora, a raw exploration of class and ambition centered on a Brooklyn sex worker, emerged victorious, marking a win for independent cinema amid a field that included several high-profile adaptations and sequels.
Here's the full list of nominees:
Anora (Winner): Critic Score 93%, Audience Score 85%, Worldwide Box Office $33.12 million
The Brutalist: Critic Score 93%, Audience Score 79%, Worldwide Box Office $12.8 million
A Complete Unknown: Critic Score 82%, Audience Score 95%, Worldwide Box Office $75.75 million
Conclave: Critic Score 93%, Audience Score 86%, Worldwide Box Office $84.535 million
Dune: Part Two: Critic Score 92%, Audience Score 95%, Worldwide Box Office $714.64 million
Emilia Pérez: Critic Score 71%, Audience Score 17%, Worldwide Box Office $13.37 million
I'm Still Here: Critic Score 97%, Audience Score 97%, Worldwide Box Office $15.56 million
Nickel Boys: Critic Score 92%, Audience Score 75%, Worldwide Box Office $1.89 million
The Substance: Critic Score 89%, Audience Score 76%, Worldwide Box Office $76.825 million
Wicked: Critic Score 88%, Audience Score 95%, Worldwide Box Office $718 million
2026
Shifting to the 98th Oscars, the 10 nominees reflect a bolder embrace of speculative fiction, horror, and personal narratives from acclaimed directors. With no winner declared yet, the field is buzzing with anticipation of potential upsets. The lineup includes several literary adaptations and original concepts, signaling a year of ambitious filmmaking.
Here's the full list of nominees:
Bugonia: Critic Score 88%, Audience Score 84%, Worldwide Box Office $41 million
F1: Critic Score 82%, Audience Score 97%, Worldwide Box Office $639 million
Frankenstein: Critic Score 85%, Audience Score 94%, Worldwide Box Office $0.14 million (Limited Release)
Hamnet: Critic Score 86%, Audience Score 93%, Worldwide Box Office $42 million (Ongoing)
Marty Supreme: Critic Score 93%, Audience Score 82%, Worldwide Box Office $105 million (Ongoing)
One Battle after Another: Critic Score 94%, Audience Score 85%, Worldwide Box Office $206 million (Ongoing)
The Secret Agent: Critic Score 98%, Audience Score 83%, Worldwide Box Office $6 million (Ongoing)
Sentimental Value: Critic Score 97%, Audience Score 94%, Worldwide Box Office $16 million (Ongoing)
Sinners: Critic Score 97%, Audience Score 96%, Worldwide Box Office $369 million (Ongoing)
Train Dreams: Critic Score 95%, Audience Score 90%, Worldwide Box Office N/A (Limited Release)
Industry Context: Box Office and Critical Buzz
2025's nominees mixed commercial hits (Dune: Part Two, Wicked) with festival darlings (Anora, The Brutalist), reflecting a post-pandemic recovery. 2026 seems poised for similar dynamics, with box office hits like F1 and Sinners alongside indie films such as Sentimental Value and Train Dreams. Critically, both years draw from Cannes and Toronto premieres, underscoring the festivals' ongoing influence on awards-season prestige, while 2026's slate hints at a maturing industry trend toward blending high-concept spectacle with introspective, character-driven narratives.
Looking Ahead: What These Nominees Signal for Cinema
The transition from 2025 to 2026 underscores Hollywood's balancing act between innovation and tradition. While 2025 rewarded intimate, character-driven tales, 2026's field suggests a resurgence of bold genre reinventions, possibly influenced by global events and technological advances in filmmaking. As the industry grapples with AI, strikes, and shifting audience habits, these Oscar slates highlight resilience through diverse storytelling. Who will win in 2026? One Battle after Another stands as the favorite, but the race remains wide open.